Warriors: Return of the Clans
by NugatorySheep
Summary: Generations of cats have come and gone since the Clans claimed territory. Only the Last Star is left, and time for the Clan's legacy is running out. Among the shattered remains sits Fawn, an ordinary kittypet. Along with Echo and Night, she takes up the task of restoring the Clans. Will this small group be strong enough for the task? Or will the stars go dark once and for all?
1. The Last Star (1)

**ALLEGIANCES **

**CATS OUTSIDE CLANS**

**KITTYPETS (cats that live with humans)**

FAWN - long-furred, seal pointed she-cat with usual white spots and blue eyes

ECHO - Lithe, silver tabby with rough paws and green eyes

MOZILLA - feisty ginger tom with foxlike markings

SALEM - poor-tempered solid black she-cat

MUTE - deaf, white she-cat with light blue eyes

BUTTERS - calico patterned tom

OREO - small, timid black-and-white tom

**LONERS (cats that live on their own, but respect another cat's territory)**

NIGHT - black, bright-eyed tom with a grey blaze and an angular face

BADGER - long-furred, bulky brown-and-white tabby tom

FUZZ - grey-and-black tabby tom

TWIG - sable pointed tom

GINGER - long-furred ginger tabby she-cat

FANG - aggressive cinnamon-and-white tabby tom

**ROGUES (cats that travel, and tend to ignore boundaries)**

BOAR - fierce brown tom with a flat face

CYCLOPS - brown tom that's blind in one eye

GHOST - very pale she-cat with unusual pink eyes

* * *

_In honor of the Last Star_

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

He hated it.

The same old trees, the same old prey, the unchanging stars above, the deafening, endless silence that chewed away at his core. Many seasons ago, this starry realm was his home, filled with his friends and family, but now it was nearly unbearable. He hated his own face the most. Every day he would investigate the small pool at the edge of the forest, and every day he saw the same thing; his own face staring blankly back at him. At one time he felt a sense of pride in his image, the fiery pelted cat destined to save the forest and all who lived in it. Now it just irritated, no - _infuriated_ him.

For seasons he begged the stars to send a cat to him, to give him a sign,_ something_; and for seasons he got nothing in return. But he continued to wait at the pool. Surely if this was really the end of Clans and the warriors who upheld the code, then he would have vanished long ago. And yet here he was. All the other warriors, leaders, and apprentices had faded away, their earthly bodies lost to nature, and their spiritual presence lost to time. It seemed as if no cat remembered the Clans anymore, _so why was he still here_?

He sighed deeply and his reflection did the same. It felt like it was taunting him. He could easily imagine it cackling, it's evil, green eyes giving him a condescending look as if to say,_ "What were you expecting, you stupid furball? You should've never left your Twoleg's backyard!"_

He shook his head and went back to watching the pool. He couldn't give up now, after going for so long, that would be too easy. Even here, he knew that a warrior's service never really ended. Once a warrior, always a warrior. It didn't matter how long he had to wait, how long he would have to see the same ginger pelt and blue eyes…

"Blue?" he whispered, unsure of what to think. He wanted to shake his head again, just to be sure he wasn't seeing things, but forced himself to stay still, afraid of ruining the only change he'd seen in seasons. The tired, green eyes he had become so exhausted of had morphed into a vibrant blue. He'd only seen eyes like that a few times before; they were rare to find in cats. He slowly rose from his crouching position, although his reflection didn't move. Instead, more of it changed. Its pelt shifted from ginger to a pale brown; the subtle, mackerel markings on its forehead disappeared and the face grew darker; the short, sleek fur he had before became longer, and the small nick in its ear vanished. A collar appeared around the new feline's neck, it's color and type eerily resembling the one that he used to wear so many seasons ago.

Whoever this cat was, he knew he had to find them. But were would he even start? He didn't even know their name. As if to answer his question, the cat rose from the pool, the effortless movement reminding him of how RiverClan cats used to come out of the water after a long day of fishing. As it did, he could see that the cat a was female, and had several white spots on her back as well as white toes. She began looking around nervously, like she was lost.

"Hello?" he asked. "Can you hear me?" The she-cat didn't respond, at least not to him. She let out a series of hisses at some invisible attacker before slowing fading away. He sighed, somewhat disappointed that the vision was so short-lived, but relieved that he did finally get the sign he was asking for. As he went back into the forest to think over all of what he saw, a whisper from behind made him stop in his tracks.

"Firestar!"

He whipped his head around to see who called him but saw nothing. Was he hearing things?

"Don't be afraid," the voice reassured him. "In frosted day, by blazing night, through echoed stone, Silverpelt shines bright. You will no longer be the Last Star. Be patient..."

Firestar flicked his ears, but the voice went silent. He continued walking; his mind fully engrossed in what the voice had said. If what it said was true, StarClan would be filled with cats once more. But would he meet his old friends and family, or would there be new, foreign cats? Was this unknown she-cat, who clearly still lived with her Twolegs, really be the key to saving the Clans?

Despite his worries, he was feeling excited. Good times were coming. The warrior code would be restored, and the Clans along with it. His days of being the Last Star were coming to an end.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

Fawn woke up with her fur bristling and her heart racing. She had a terrible dream, the shock of it following her into the waking world. She slowly caught her breath and gave herself a quick shake, trying to get the visions of dying cats and blood-filled water out of her mind._ I shouldn't eat so much before going to bed, _she thought, chastising herself. She padded over to the bedroom door, which she quickly noted was closed. It was open when she went to bed. Fawn flicked her ear in irritation; her housefolk must've closed it when they left earlier, meaning she would have to wait until they returned to leave the room.

Turning away from the door, she yawned and stretched. She still wasn't quite awake yet anyway, so it was probably best that she wait. Something caught her attention, however, on the way back to the cat-bed. There was something off about the air. Fawn took in a deep breath, a familiar scent filling her nostrils. Smoke! She went back to the door and leaned against it, then quickly jumped back from the heat. There was no question, a fire was on the other side. Now she wasn't so upset that her housefolk had left the door closed.

Fawn ran to the window, thinking that she could leave the room through there, but it was locked. Her options were running out, and it was only a matter of time before the door succumbed to the flames. _What am I going to do? I can't just stay in here until the fire gets me..._

A loud banging from the door seemed to answer her question. In a second, the door fell, revealing a two-legged creature with an odd black and yellow pelt. Fawn tried to run, but it was no use. Where would she even run to? The creature swooped down and picked her up, then headed back into the fire. Fawn's fur was fully puffed out as she struggled and flailed. She extended her claws and started raking them against the beast's pelt; it wasn't long until she felt her claws digging into its skin. It dropped her in retaliation, grabbing its arm where Fawn had attacked it. Her eyes darted from side to side to find an exit. Smoke was blurring her vision, making it hard to see what was happening.

She blindly rushed forward, dodging and leaping over various bits of fire and rubble. She was forced to stop at the front of the living room on account of the massive flaming pile of wood in the doorway. Soon the creature was over her again, and despite her furious hissing, it grabbed her once more, kicking the wood out of the doorway as it went into the hall.

In what seemed like just a few heartbeats, the two were outside in the snow. Though her vision was blurry, Fawn could make out the shapes of cars and many humans. One of the cars she recognized immediately; it was the one her housefolk used to go from one place to another. It was asleep right now, it's usual glowing eyes were dark, and it was on the very edge of the Thunderpath. Behind it was a much larger car. This one was wide awake and had many glowing eyes. It was growling and screeching loud enough that Fawn could hear it clearly despite it being nearly a tree-length away. Some sort of tail was coming from its side, and there were more of the black and yellow creatures holding it and pulling on it.

Fawn was glad to have left the burning human nest, but she was shaking from head to tail-tip. She started coughing hard, making the creature carrying her stop walking. It's black, bulky face seemed to peer down at her, although it didn't have any visible eyes.

It said something she couldn't quite understand. The voice was muffled, but it sounded worried. The creature continued walking, while slowly peeling off what Fawn had assumed to be its face. She soon realized this creature was a human, although the pelt he was wearing was far more bizarre than anything she had seen one wear before. She coughed again, louder this time, and the human muttered something again. She caught a few words, but most of it was lost on her. His words continued to echo in her head as she drifted off. _"You'll be okay... I promise..."_

**_..._**

When Fawn opened her eyes, she was surrounded by green. Around her was a sprawling forest, and under her was thick, green grass. The sky was filled with stars that shined brightly, far more than what she was used to. Off in the distance, she could see the sun setting behind some hills.

"Where am I?" She wondered aloud. She rose to her paws and walked toward the forest edge, in the direction of the sun.

Even though this place felt serene, something about it was off. There was a sense of dread that hung in the trees and emptiness that filled the air. She wasn't quite sure what, but something here was missing. Every new step she took confirmed her thoughts. The grass she was walking through was flat, as if someone had been through it before. Looking around, she could see that many of the trees had claw marks in them. There was no doubt in her mind that this forest, at one time, had cats living in it. So where were they now?

Fawn sighed. Cleary she wouldn't find any help here. Her ears pricked at the sound of flowing water, and she followed it to a small stream a few tree-lengths away. She was lapping up the fresh water when another sound caught her attention. Glancing up, she could see the rough outline of a cat in the trees. She quickly scurried away into some nearby bushes as the cat came closer; it was a bright ginger tom, his pelt marked with several scars. He crouched at the stream to take a drink. Apparently, he hadn't noticed her, Fawn thought to herself, relieved. She was unsure of whether this cat would be friendly. If he had scars, there was a good chance he was a feral cat and didn't take too kindly to strangers.

As he stood up and yawned, Fawn noticed something else about him. His pelt was covered in small flecks of light, like small stars. The lights floated around him and seemed to move independently of his body. This was no ordinary cat. The fur on her shoulders bristled ever so slightly as the ginger tom glared in her direction. Had he spotted her? She decided it wasn't worth sticking around to find out. She backed away as quietly as she could, then once she was several cat-lengths away, turned-tail and ran.

Unfortunately, the tom must have heard her flee, because Fawn could make out the sound of pawsteps behind her. She peeked over her shoulder to see how far behind he was. Big mistake. There was a loud _THUMP_ that ringed through the air as she ran into a large boulder. By the time she scrambled to her paws, the tom was right in front of her.

"Please don't run again," he mewed. "I know I might look scary to you, but I'm harmless, trust me."

Fawn's tail twitched back and forth. She was debating if he really meant what he was saying. A cat like him, harmless? It seemed unlikely. Even so, his green eyes gave off a pleading expression.

She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. The words vanished as if she had never tried to say anything. _What's going on? _Her paws faded from underneath her, and the next thing she knew, the forest was gone, and her strange dream was over. Instead, Fawn was surrounded by shiny, hard webbing. The ground under her was vibrating softly. She gave herself a rough shake and looked around. The space she was in was dark, with two small holes on either side to let in light. Fawn assumed she was in a car of some kind, although it was very different than what her housefolk used. She jumped from a soft whisper from behind.

"Pssst! Fawn is that you?" the voice asked. It took a moment, but she recognized who it was.

"Echo? Where are we?" Fawn whispered back, glad that her voice was working again.

"I'm not sure... I think it's a car though. Some funny-looking humans threw me in a cage during the fire... when I woke up, I was here. I hope they're taking us back to our housefolk."

Fawn turned to face Echo. The silver she-cat was sitting with her tail curled tightly around her paws. "Me too. Mine must be worried sick!"

"Would you two keep it down? I'm trying to sleep!" Came a loud hiss from Fawn's left.

"Sorry," she mewed back, "I didn't know you were there." She looked over to see who the cat was. Fawn could just barely make out his shape; his pelt was black, making him blend in with the harsh shadows inside the car. His eyes, on the other hand, stood out clearly. The piercing yellow orbs reminded her of streetlights at night.

"I don't even know what you're all worked up about," he muttered, "You're precious 'housefolk' aren't gonna come get you. We're going to the pound."

"Pound?" Echo repeated, her tail swishing back and forth nervously. "They only take homeless cats there! We have housefolk already!"

"Doesn't matter, you're still going." The black tom stretched and turned away. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, kittypets always get adopted from the pound anyway. They just kill cats like me." Despite the severity of his words, he didn't sound upset, just mildly annoyed.

"You're lying!" Echo growled at him. "Humans wouldn't do that! They'll bring us back, you'll see!" She was yelling now, although the tom didn't move.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he replied.

"Don't listen to him," Fawn meowed. "He's just grumpy because he doesn't have housefolk of his own."

"Right, because I really want a bunch of humans hovering over me like I'm a kit," he shot back, rolling over to glare at Fawn. "Just because _you _like being locked up and fed food that looks like rabbit poop doesn't mean I want to."

Fawn flattened her ears against her head and gave her chest a nervous lick, unsure of how to respond to his accusations. What he said was technically true, although she didn't want to admit it. Echo, on the other hand, returned his glare full force.

"Alley cats like you always act so tough, but I know it's just a ruse! You think making things hard for yourself and making fun of others is how you get ahead. Well, you're wrong! I make my housefolk happy, and I'm proud of it. That's all that really matters, right Fawn?" she looked expectantly at Fawn, her green eyes beaming.

"Right!" Fawn mewed.

The tom opened his jaws to fire back a reply but got cut off by the car rumbling loudly. "What was that?" he growled; all the smugness gone from his voice.

Fawn pressed herself against her cage's bottom, her tail thrashing wildly. The car shook and rumbled again harder, enough to slide the cages around.

Echo backed into her cage's corner. "What's going on out there? Did we hit something?" she hissed.

There was a deafening screech as the car was rammed by something none of the cats could see. Its back mouth flung open, and the cages tumbled onto the slush-covered Thunderpath.

**...**

It took a moment for Fawn to regain her senses. The first thing she felt was warm; she looked down at her paws, which were covered in red. A dull pain in her side told her she was bleeding, but she wasn't worried about it, not now. Fawn scrambled out of her, now open, cage and onto the hard ground of the Thunderpath. She could see the shiny pelt of what she assumed to be the car she had been in, as well as another car with a different colored pelt jammed into its side. Two humans were standing next to them yowling things at each other she couldn't understand.

She looked back and forth for the other two cages. One was not too far away, but it was empty. Fawn could just barely make out paw prints left behind in the slush. The second was much further out on the Thunderpath, but it was also empty. Just a few mouse-lengths to its left was a silver, cat-shaped outline. "Echo!" she meowed as loudly as she could.

Fawn trotted over to her friend quickly at first, although her pace slowed as she got closer. She stopped several tail-lengths away. Echo was her side, her body perfectly still. The ground around her head was tinged a sickening shade of red.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_This has been """"done"""" for a long time but I came back several times to edit it. I think it's good enough now, and I won't edit it again unless someone spots a major error. Several things to note about this chapter and the story in general:_

_ I have tried my best to keep the style of writing similar to Erin Hunter (or about as similar as I can be for a series written by four different people), minus a few things here and there._

_ This story takes place long after the prime Warriors canon. There a few reasons for this, but mostly it's to avoid continuity errors._

_ Something that probably stands out right away about this story in the use of "humans" instead of "Twolegs" and "cars" instead of "monsters". There's quite a few title changes but these are the only two present so far; I'll wait until later to address any other changes. While I've chosen to keep "Twolegs" and other original terms in use for any characters from the original story, I never liked that term, in particular, considering nothing like it is used for other animals. There's even multiple versions used by different cats! (ex. "Upwalkers, "No-furs"). __"Housefolk" doesn't make much sense either but I'll let slide...__ I won't change the language used by the older cats but my characters will be using the word "human"._

_ As for the word "car", this was touched on in Tallstar's Revenge. House cats recognize the words used by their owners, and the same applies here. Because this chapter is from Fawn's perspective, she uses terms she knows, and her kittypet friend Echo uses them too. Rouges and loners are more likely to still use the word "monster" to describe a car._

_ Since the original territories are based on locations in Europe, I imagine that the OG cats would have English accents. Speaking of which, the location in this story is the United States rather than the United Kingdom. Partially because I didn't want to be stuck using the lake territories and partially because there's a character who eventually earns the name Raccoontail and the UK doesn't have raccoons._

_ Oh and most prophecies will rhyme. There's no particular reason for this, I just liked doing it._


	2. You Came Back (2)

Fawn felt like her legs were going to collapse underneath her.

She couldn't believe what was in front of her... she _wouldn't._ And yet there lay Echo's body in the center of the Thunderpath. She didn't have much time to think it over, however. A series of vibrations from the Thunderpath pulled her back into reality. The vibrations grew more intense as Fawn looked to her side; a car was charging towards her, its massive black paws kicking up slush along the way.

Fawn considered running, but it was too late. The car was in front of her in just a few heartbeats. Its glowing yellow eyes stared blankly ahead, as if it didn't even see her. She curled up into a ball, hoping that it would go past her. Instead, it went over her, leaving Fawn shaken, but otherwise un-hurt. When she was sure that the beast was gone, she turned back to Echo, only to find the spot where she had been empty, leaving a dull, bloody mark in her place.

"Echo! Please tell me you're out there!" Fawn cried out in desperation. There was no response to her plea besides the howl of the wind. Unsure of what else to do and wanting to avoid being caught by the humans again, she charged off the Thunderpath and into the snow.

Fawn wandered through the snow for what seemed like days. The light snowfall from earlier in the day quickly turned into a blizzard, and she soon realized that she was lost. While she wasn't normally bothered by the cold, this felt different. Frost was building on her whiskers and snow weighed down on her fur. She lifted her head and sniffed the air, hoping for a sign that she was close to Humanplace, but the only scent was the faint reek of the Thunderpath. _Have I been going in circles? _Fawn thought to herself, worried that she'd never find her way back. She sighed deeply and dropped half-heartedly onto her belly, positive that this was the end of her journey.

A cat came up from behind, initially unnoticed by Fawn. He gently grabbed her by the back of her neck and dragged her away. Fawn senses were dulled by the cold, but the cat's black pelt stood out clearly. While she was sure that this was the tom that had so relentlessly ridiculed her before, there was something otherworldly about the way his fur sparkled.

**...**

Once again Fawn awoke surrounded by grass and tall, leafy trees. Despite the warm, orange glow of the sun on her pelt, she still felt cold. She flicked her ears, listening for any signs of the flame-colored tom she had run into before, but all she could hear was the sound of rushing water and the scuttle of small creatures in the undergrowth. She recognized the large boulder that was sitting a few mouse-lengths away from the last time she had been here. It seemed like she had woken up in the same place she had left before. Retracing her steps, she made her way towards the stream and followed it until she came to a clearing where the stream ran into a pool about three fox-lengths across. Farther off was a series of flat stones stacked on top of each other.

Sitting on them was the cat Fawn had spoken to before. He was facing away from her, his tail swishing lazily, but his ears were pricked and alert. Next to him was a bare bush with several items hanging on it. She could tell one was a collar, it's color matching the one she was currently wearing. The others she couldn't make out from where she was. Fawn slowly made her way towards him, trying to get a good look without drawing his attention. She stopped just a cat-length away from the tip of his tail. The tom's torn left ear flicked, making her jump back.

Without turning his head, he quietly purred, "Fawn? Is that you?" There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

"How do you know my name?" asked Fawn, a bit taken aback.

The tom peered down at her. "It doesn't matter, not right now. But I want to ask you something," Fawn nodded her head, and he continued, "I assume you've heard of the Clans? Or at least of the cats who live in them?"

Fawn twitched her tail, somewhat confused. "Clans? Like those wild cats that lived in the forest? I... thought that was just a story queens tell their kits to make them behave." She looked down at her paws sheepishly. "Even if they did exist, they'd be long go-"

"YOU'RE WRONG!" the tom spat back, the sudden ferocity in his voice catching Fawn off guard. His claws, which were sheathed just moments before, were now out in full display.

Fawn sank down into the grass, her eyes wide in fear. She wanted to run but forced herself to stay put, not wanting to make him any more upset than he already was.

"My Clan is not a simple story! My friends aren't myths! My family isn't some legend!" he growled at her. He leaped down from the pile of stones and came towards her until his muzzle was practically touching hers. "I will not let them vanish. Not if I can help it."

The rage in his eyes soon faded, however, and he made his way back up to where he had been sitting before. He took a deep breath and meowed, "You were right about one thing; it's been many seasons since any of the Clans have claimed territory. I am the last warrior of StarClan, and I fear that with my death will be the death of not just the Clans but the warrior code as well. That's why I need your help."

"What could I possibly do?" Fawn mewed, trying to pick her next words carefully, "All this stuff about warriors and Clans, it's just too much…"

The tom shook his head and glanced at the bush next to him. He lightly brushed the tip of his tail against the collar hanging on it and returned his attention to Fawn. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, but you've been chosen for this. I received a prophecy that a she-cat like you would appear to me and help restore the Clans to their former glory."

Fawn's head was spinning with all this new information. Prophecies? StarClan? Warrior codes? It didn't make any sense. "But..."

"The way of the warrior is dying Fawn. I can't do this without your help. We're running out of time, so I'll only ask you this once; will you restore the Clans?" He looked at her with his tail curled around his paws, the tip of it twitching impatiently. From Fawn's perspective, he seemed to tower over her.

She opened her mouth to reply, but once again the words vanished as if she had never meant to talk at all. The starry forest faded away and she awoke to a cold, dark cave. She grumbled and stood up slowly, the pain in her side making her legs feel weak. In her dream, she couldn't feel it at all.

A black tom's outline filled the cave entrance. In his mouth was the limp body of a rabbit. He dropped it in the cave's center and trotted over to Fawn.

"So, you're finally awake! It's about time, I was worried I'd have to bury you," he meowed.

Fawn yawed and shook out her fur. "You came back for me. Why?"

"Well if makes you feel better, you can leave right now. I'm sure the blizzard will clear up by sunrise," he hissed.

Fawn blushed and lowered her head respectfully. "Right, I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me," she mewed.

"Honestly, I don't know what you were thinking, running around in a storm like that. Do you have bees in your brain?" He dragged the rabbit closer to them and took a bite, then continued once he swallowed. "I tried to find some cobwebs, but this cave doesn't have many."

"Cobwebs?" she repeated. "What do you need those for?"

"To help cover open wounds, specifically that nasty gash you have on your flank. I'm no healer or Stoneteller, but I know a thing or two," he explained. "Supposedly there were cats that just used to heal wounds instead of hunt or fight. They'd receive prophecies and stuff," Fawn's ears pricked at the word "prophecies" as he continued, "That sort of thing is above my head, but I can use herbs just fine."

"Like Clan cats?" she meowed curiously.

"Yeah, those old tales about ThunderClan and Midnight and all that," he purred.

"Is it alright if I tell you something?" Fawn asked.

"Sure. Not like we can do anything else with that blizzard outside." The tom stretched and then tucked his paws underneath him.

"While I was out, I had a dream. I saw a cat who claimed he was a StarClan warrior. He wanted me to help rebuild the Clans for him. When I tried to answer him, I woke up." she mewed.

He chuckled to himself and purred, "You're telling me you went to StarClan?"

Fawn sighed. "I know it sounds stupid but that's what happened. I wish I knew his name, maybe I could find him again. Or least get a better idea of what he was talking about."

"Hmm… Why don't you tell me what he looked like? I could probably guess who it was."

"Well, he was a bit shorter than me, with short ginger fur." Fawn pawed at the ground as she tried to remember more details. "His pelt was shiny, like there were stars on it, and he had green eyes."

"Did he have mackerel markings?" he asked.

Fawn nodded.

"Torn left ear? Scar on his flank? Scratch above his eye?" The tom was no longer lying down.

"Yeah, he looked exactly like that! You know who it is?"

"You don't?"

Fawn blinked. "No? Am I supposed to?"

"Oh. My. Stars. You're serious, aren't you?" He shook his head like he was unsure of what he was hearing. "That was Firestar!"

"FireWho?"

"You don't know about Firestar? The flame-colored cat destined to save the forest? Slayer of Tigerstar and Scourge? Leader of ThunderClan and savior to SkyClan? The unknown fourth cat of the three?"

"I didn't realize he was so important."

"I guess you wouldn't, considering you're a kittypet," he meowed dismissively.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fawn asked, a bit offended by his tone.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything," he mewed. He pawed the rabbit towards her. "You haven't taken a bite yet. I know cats like you don't eat fresh-kill very often, but I'd hate this to go to waste."

Fawn grumbled, annoyed at his constant jabs at her status as a house cat, but she bit into the rabbit anyway. It was tougher than the mushy food her housefolk gave to her, but it tasted much better. She licked her lips and asked, "I never got your name. What is it?"

"Call me Night," he mewed, his eyes beaming.

For a heartbeat, Fawn swore she saw all of Silverpelt flash through them.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_So this is the chapter that my fake screenshot upload on FA is from. The dialogue is a bit different but otherwise it matches almost perfectly. Kinda surprised it didn't get altered too much since that conversation between Fawn and Firestar (and her trek thought the snow) was the first scene I came up with for the story - even before I came up with the other main characters or even decided why Fawn was wandering around in a blizzard to begin with._

_In other news, I realized that I wasn't tagging my dialogue correctly... I went back and fixed it for this chapter and the one I'm currently writing but chapter one isn't being fixed right now. Like I said I'm not re-upping it unless there's a major fix needed._

_And before someone who's familiar with the Warriors books mentions it, yes I know Night is giving out false information. That's very intentional, and it comes into play later. That being said, he not lying on purpose; as far as he's concerned, the stories that have been told to him are accurate._


	3. The Path of Stars (3)

**CHAPTER THREE**

Fawn dreamed she was chasing a butterfly through a forest she hadn't been in before. The sun shined brightly overhead, and the forest was alive with the scents and sounds of green-leaf. She followed the butterfly to the edge of a large lake, stopping once the creature had flown too far past the lake's edge for her to catch. She sat down and listened to the waves crashing against the shore.

The water's surface began to churn separately from the waves, and a cat's head momentarily appeared before being pulled under again. Fawn quickly rose up, about to jump in to save them, but something grabbed her tail, and she stumbled and fell, leaving her part of her front legs submerged. Her initial confusion about what happened soon turned to irritation, and swiveled her head around, ready to give an earful to whoever held her back. Behind her was a plain ginger cat with large white paws and a white muzzle. His glare was fierce, but it wasn't what drew Fawn's attention; the way his fur sparkled was more than enough to leave her jaws hanging open and snatch away any insults that were going to exit it.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked her.

"I, um," she began, trying to form a coherent sentence, "That cat out there, they need my help, they're drowning…"

"It's already dead," he mewed bluntly. "They all will be soon."

Fawn was confused about what he meant, although she decided it was best to keep quiet. More cats appeared from the shadows around the shore, each one of them displaying a shiny, star-filled pelt. They stopped a few fox lengths away from the water, and the tom that was holding her down went to join them.

He wrapped his tail around his paws and mewed, "You should step back."

"But what abo—" Fawn was cut off by a sharp pain in her right paw. She leaped back, silently cursing at herself for not taking the tom's advice.

Down where she had been, a cat was half walking, half crawling out of the water's edge. Its pelt was covered in slime and mud, making hard to tell what color it was underneath. Parts of the cat's body were damaged beyond repair; half its tail was missing, there was a huge chunk torn out of its flank, and one leg was nothing more than shredded remains. The water around it was slowing turning dark red from the blood seeping out of its body. The decayed cat stared at Fawn with such primal rage that it made her flinch. On its foaming muzzle was blood from Fawn's paw.

"W-what is that?" she whispered, backing away from the lake's edge and towards the cats behind her.

The ginger tom slowly shook his head. "The Clan's downfall," he sighed, his voice filled with grief.

More decayed cats crawled onto the shore, turning more and more of the lake red. Their screeching and growling filled the air, and the stench of their rotting flesh filled Fawn's nose. She trotted to the star-furred cats as quickly as she could, careful not to put too much weight onto her injured paw. Each of them took a defensive position in front of her, and the decaying lake cats stopped their advance, although they all still stared at Fawn with hungry, wild eyes. As she peered down at them, she couldn't help but feel that this wasn't the first time she'd encountered them.

"What happened to them? How did they end up like that?" she meowed.

The ginger tom turned to face her; his eyes were filled with an unnatural golden shine where they had been a soft yellow before. "From the path of Stars the Clan's did spark," he meowed, his voice now laced by the sounds of distant lightning and thunder.

The pitch-black she-cat next to him swiveled her head just enough for Fawn to see her dark green eyes. She spoke in a low, soft mew that made Fawn shudder. "But the Shadows are unveiled…" She stopped mid-sentence, and a long-furred silver tom continued it without missing a beat.

"…and the Rivers run dark." The lake's waves grew stronger as he spoke.

"When Thunder rises…" the ginger tom mewed again, stopping mid-sentence like the black she-cat.

A light grey tom with sky-colored eyes picked up the next part, "…and shatters the Sky…"

The last cat, a small, light brown she-cat spoke next, her voice echoing as if carried by the wind, "… a Storm will rage, and the Clans will die."

Fawn pawed at the ground, feeling a bit lost by the cat's foreboding words. "_Will _die? Isn't there something we can do then if there's still time left?"

"There is nothing _we _can do—" the light grey tom meowed, swiping his long tail to indicate the four cats around him—" to save those who are already gone. But all hope isn't lost; the Last Star still remains."

The spectral glint in the five cat's eyes faded as he finished his statement, and Fawn's muscles relaxed. "The Last Star…" Her eyes darted back and forth as the cogs turned in her head. "That ginger tom, Firestar? You mean him?" She was unsure of why Firestar was given such a title when there was a group of star-covered cats right in front of her.

"You must find him," mewed the black she-cat. "Should he fade before the Clans are reborn, there will none left to uphold the code."

"But I did! I tried to talk to him but…" Fawn's mew trailed off as she struggled to explain how her voice failed her twice in a row.

The light brown she-cat shook her head and mewed, "You can't do this alone. Surely you've realized that by now?"

"She must not know of the message we sent to the Last Star," whispered the silver tom. He seemed to be talking to himself rather than Fawn. "No matter. You'll learn of it soon enough," he meowed.

"Wait a moment!" Fawn hissed. "You're all StarClan cats, right? You have to be if you know about Firestar! Can't you help me?" All the cat's heads suddenly turned away, trying to avoid her gaze. The silver tom started cleaning his fur, and the black she-cat scratched the ground with her claws. For a heartbeat, she was worried that they'd start running with their tails between their legs. Why were they so hesitant to look at her when just moments before their eyes burned into her pelt so fiercely Fawn thought she would melt? "Well?" she meowed impatiently.

Finally, the ginger tom meowed, "It's hard enough to be here. There are things you don't… no, _can't _understand." His yellow eyes darkened, and his tail lashed from side to side in frustration. As it did, Fawn noticed the shadows from the trees passing through the end of it, and at that moment she _did_ understand. She would never see these cats again. Neither would Firestar.

Fawn puffed up her chest as much as she could and meowed, "I'll find him again, and I'll bring the Clans back."

The tom simply nodded in response. He got up and made his way into the undergrowth, signaling with tail for the others to follow. Only when she was certain they were too far away to hear her did to mew to herself, "I hope I know what I'm doing."

**...**

It was sunrise when Fawn woke up. Night was still sleeping by the cave's entrance, the half-eaten remains of the rabbit he caught under his paws. Fawn got up and trotted over to him, the injury on her side and the numbness in her paw making it difficult.

"Pssst. Hey, wake up," she hissed.

Night grumbled a reply but didn't move. "What?"

"I had another dream."

He opened his right eye. "And? A dream is just a dream."

"You seemed interested yesterday," she meowed.

"Because there was nothing else better to do. Now there is; sleep." With that statement, he rolled over so that his back was facing Fawn.

"Night, please! This is important!" she pleaded.

Night flicked his ear and sat up. His muzzle twisted into a scowl reminiscent of one a queen has when chastising her kits. "If I listen to your story will you let me rest?"

Fawn nodded. "I dreamed I was in a forest again, but I don't think it was StarClan. There was a huge lake in the middle of it…" She recounted her dream to him as best she could, making sure to describe the StarClan warriors in detail in case Night was familiar with them. If he was, he didn't interrupt her to say so. When she finished her story, she laid down next to him. He stared ahead, with his tail swaying slowly, clearly lost in thought.

They sat in silence for a while before he finally mewed, "We should head back home. The storm should be clear by now."

Fawn wondered why he was suddenly eager to leave but chose not to question it. "Okay then… shouldn't I find something to put on my injury before we go?"

He visibly flinched at her question. "Right, right, I forgot. Just wait here and I'll be back." He hopped to his paws and practically ran out of the cave. Fawn thought he would be gone for a long time, but he rushed back to her in only a few moments, holding several large leaves in his jaws.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Dock." His mew was muffled. "You use it to treat wounds and illness. There's probably better herbs to use, but this is a good general-purpose plant."

Fawn nose wrinkled when he sat the leaves down in front of her. "It smells bitter."

Night shrugged. "Most herbs do." He nudged the leaves closer to her. "Chew these up and rub the paste into the wound. When you're done, we can go."

"I have to put that in my mouth! I'd rather go to the vet!" she hissed.

"Vet?" Night repeated. "You mean the Cutter? Are you sure you'd rather go there?" he shook his head. "Maybe you've already been cut. It would answer a lot."

"Excuse me?" Fawn meowed, once again insulted over the way Night talked about her. "I've gotten a few shots, but my vet's never wounded me."

"No, not that kind of cut," he sighed, "I meant that maybe you'd been altered. I see it all the time. Kittypets are taken to a Cutter by their humans, or unlucky loners and rogues get caught and are sent by force. When they come back, they act different, and they can't have kits anymore."

"That sounds terrible…" she mewed.

"You're telling me. I've lost a lot of friends that way." His eyes clouded for a moment, then darted to the dock leaves. "Are you going to chew those or are you gonna make me do it for you?"

Fawn's tail twitched. "Right." She scooped as many as she could into her mouth and chewed, trying her best to ignore the taste.

"Just so we're clear, I'm only taking you to the edge of Humanplace. What you do after we split up is on you."

Fawn spit out the leaves. "Hold on a moment," she meowed, "You have to help me!"

"With what?" he growled, "I've given you food, medicine and I saved your life. I'm giving you an escort back to Humanplace, what more do you need?"

"I have to help Firestar! And in order to help him, you need to help me. You're the only cat I've met that knows anything about StarClan or the warrior cats. How can I make a Clan when I don't know anything about them?"

He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, then turned away and shoved his head into his paws. There was a long pause, then he softly mewed, "Okay."

* * *

_Okay, a lot of things to cover here despite how short this chapter is (about 150 words shorter than the last chapter). First things first, sorry for the huge gap in uploads. My mother got really sick about a week ago and I've been back and forth between the house and the hospital. (Don't worry though, she'll be ok)!_

_This chapter is very dialogue-heavy, and it's mostly exposition/setup. I tried to put in some foreshadowing so it's not too boring, but at least we can actually start getting to the plot now! _

_Speaking of dialogue, I hope the prophecy given by the Clan founders is written alright? I haven't read Dawn of the Clans yet but I had a specific idea in mind for the delivery of this prophecy and__ references used in it__ and I needed to use them to do it. That also meant that I needed a reason why they wouldn't be present after this chapter and why Firestar didn't seem to realize they were still around, at least before Fawn's encounter with them (that'll be addressed a bit later). It kind of worked out for the better since the reader can get a good idea of what has happened to StarClan without Firestar himself needing to info dump it. The pauses to switch speaking characters is probably a bit annoying, but I tried to minimize the amount of description in between the dialogue. _

_I wanted to avoid talking about this right now but I think the presentation of it in Fawn's dream will give people the wrong idea so I'll just say it: No, the Clans were not wiped out by zombies. There's some stuff in this fanfic that is a bit out there but I wouldn't stray that far lol. Dreams are always a bit skewed and Fawn's are no exception. There's some truth in what happens during them, but it greatly exaggerated._

_And then there's Night acting strange and dodging questions. I'll let you guys theorize on that._


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